Mechanical musical instrument



(No Model.) 4SheetsSheetf1.. G. B. KELLY.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. N0. 356,690. Patented Jan. 25, 1887,

N. PETERS. Pholninhugrnphcr. \Vnslnngmn. n. c.

(NoModeL) v I 4 SheetsSheet 2. .G. B. KELLY.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

No. 356,690. Patented Jan. 25, 1887.

w. PETERS, Pholwmhngraplmr, Wushingwn. n cy (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet s.

G. .B. KELLY.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Patented Jan. 25, 1 887.

(No Model.)

Patented Jan. 25, 1887;

ZNVENT @iZ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

G-EORGE B. KELLY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 356,690, dated January 25, 1887.

Application tiled hIari-h 11, 1886. Serial No. 194,790. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEoRe-E B. KELLY, oi Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Musical Instruments, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the prcsentinvention is to provide means in a mechanical musical instrument for feeding the perforated music-sheet used in such instruments through the instrument for the operation of the sounding devices, the winding of the music-sheet upon the takeup roll, and the rewinding of the musicsheet upon the music-roll; and the invention consists in the combination, with a mainwind chest of a niusical-instrument having air-pas sages leading thereto, of a bellows having an air-passage leading therefrom, and a chambered block or plate to such bellows having com municatiou by its chamber with an air-passage leading to said wind-chest, and arranged and adapted to move back and forth over the airpassage leading to said bellows, and in such movements to make and break communication between its chamber and the air-passage leading to said bellows, and a shaft adapted to re volve in suitable bearings and suitably connected to said bellows foroperation thereof, by

which, from the operation of the main operatingbellows, communicating with the main Wind-chest,tlie bellows will be operated, and by its connection with said shaft cause it to be turned, and through its connection with the take-up roll and the music -sheet cause the musicsheet to travel in a proper direction through the instrument for the operation of the sounding devices, and also be wound upon said take-up roll, all substantially as herein after fully described; and the invention also consists in the combination, with a main windchest of a musical instrument having air-pas sages leading thereto, of one or more pairs of bellows, each bellows of each pair of bellows having an air-passage leading therefrom, and a chambered block or plate to each pair of bellows having communication by its chamber with an air-passage leading to said main windchest, and arranged and adapted to move back and ri'orth over air-passages leading to each pair of bellows, and in such movements to make and break communication alternately .said shaft cause it to be turned, and through its connection with the take-up roll and the music'sheet cause such music-sheetto travel in a proper manner through the instrument for the operation of the sounding devices and be wound upon said take-up roll, all sub'stan tially as hereinafter fully described.

The invention also consists in certain arrangement of parts, in combination with said shalt, by which from its rotation the musicsheetwill be wound upon the music-roll,all substantially as hereinafter described.

The invention also consists in the combination and arrangement of other parts, in connection with the above,ior the proper operation of said pairs of bellows and the'parts connected therewith, all substantially as hereinafter fully described; and the invention also consists of other arrangements ofparts, in connection with the operative parts of the instrument, all substantially as hereinafter fully described.

In the accompanying plates of drawings is illustrated a mechanical musical instrument having the present invention applied thereto.-

Figure 1 is a planview. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig.3 is an end elevation. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section on line 4 4, Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view. Fig. 6 is a detail horizontal cross-section on line 6 6, Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a vertical cross-section on line 7 7, Figs. 1, 2, and 6. Fig. 8 is a side view of the music-roll and its bearings. Figs. 1 and 2 are on a smaller scale than the rest of the views.

In the drawings, A represents a wind chest suitable for a reed-organ, formed of the two side boards, B 0, set at an angle to each other and secured together at their upper side edges, a, and two parallel end pieces, D E, making the wind-chamber F open at its lower side, as shown more particularly in Fi 4-. In this wind-chest chamber F are located the valves G,with their springs b and pneumatic bellows H attached, respectively, to the boards B O, the valves being hinged at c and covering airpassages d in the side boardsleading from said chamber F, each to a separate reed-cell J, having a reed, K, each reed-cell being open at its upper end, 0, outside of the wind-chest.

L is a swell-board hinged atfto its respective reedcell board and adapted to cover the open endsc of the reed-cells, and to be operated as usual in reed-organs.

Each valve G bears at its end g upon a pneumatic bellows, H, secured to its respective board B O, and each pneumatic bellows has a passage, h,com mu nicating with the wind-chest chamber F, and a passage, 2, leading into a separate passage, m, in its respective board B C, which passages on extend up through their respective boards and through a strip or bar, M, secured on the upper edge, a, of the windchest, and opening to the outside thereof on its upper surface, as shown more particularly iii Figs. 1 and 4.

The series of reed-cells, reeds, valves, and pneumatic bellows on the board B alternate with the similar series on the other board, 0, the series of air ducts or passages m in the board M alternately leading to and communieating with a pneumatic bellows first on one board and then on the other of the side boards, B C.

The wind-chest A is adapted to be secured by screws n in its lower side strips, 1), to the board N of the main wind-chest 0, its chamber P having communication by a passage, q, with the chamber F, and by a passage, r,with a bellows, (not shown in the drawings,) but which bellowsis the main or operating bellows, and is constructed and arranged to be operated as usual in reed-organs.

Q is the take-up roll, adapted to rotate in bearings 8 t in cross-bars R S, secured by screws a on the upper edge, a, of the windohest A.

T is the music-roll on which is wound the perforated music-sheet U, and is adapted by its journals 4) w to turn in bearings a; 1 re spectively, in the cross-bar R and the end z of a short shaft, V, adapted to revolve in bearings in the cross-bar S, and an upright, Z, of a bar, \V, secured to the two cross-bars R S at their front ends.

The music-sheet wound upon the music-roll is carried. by its outer end over the air-ducts m, and attached to the take-up roll in any suitable manner, its longitudinal lines or rows of perforations a corresponding in number and in line with the air-ducts m, one line or row of perforations to each air-duct.

In the operation of the instrument,with the main bellows set in operation and the musicsheet caused to travel over the air-ducts, the reeds will be sounded, playing the tune arranged on the music-sheet, all as usual in mechanical musical instruments.

The description thus far relates to the constrnction and operation of the instrument for the sounding of the reeds, &c., irrespective of the mode of operating the travel of the musicsheet through the instrument; but the present invention relates to means for feeding such musicsheet over the airducts, &c.,winding it upon the takeup roll and rewinding it upon the music-roll, all of which is accomplished from the operation of the main bellows when operated to sound the reeds, 850.

At each end of the wind-chest A are two upright bellows, A, B, G, and D, one 011 each side, and secured to the wind-chest by their respective boards b in any suitable manner, their boards d being adapted to move or swing on their respective hinges c to and from their respective boards I), as usual in bellows.

The two moving boards d of each pair of bellows at their upper ends are connected together by a pitman-rod, E, pivoted at each end f in uprights F, of the boards d,the rods being of a such a length that when the board (1 of one bellows is closed the board d of the other bellows will be opened,and vice versa.

A passage, 9, leads from the chamber G of each bellows into the respective end pieces, D E,and then extends at a right angle to the outside thereof and in the same horizontal plane, as shown more particularly in Fig. 6.

h is a passage extending inward from the outside of each end pieee,D E,in the same horizontal plane and between each two passages, g", in each end piece,andjoining a passage, 2, open at the lower end of the piece into a passage, m, communicatingwiththemainwindchestchamber P.

The passages g and the middle passage, h, are preferably elongated vertically,as shown, in order to obtain the necessary amount of area in cross-section and bring them horizontally close together, for the purposes hereinafter described.

H is ablock or plate on the outside ofeach end piece, D E, having a chamber or recessm, in its inner side, and attached to a bar, 1), pivoted at g, on which it can freely swing back and forth across and over the openends ofthe passages g and h. The chamber a of this block H is of a length longer than the length of the openings h, and of a width to extend over and cover either one of said outer open ings, g, and the middle one,h,at the same time, so that as the block is swung back and forth across said openings its chamber n will be over the outer openings, 9, alternately, constantly, however, over the middle opening,h, so that air can pass into the middle opening, it, alternately from the outer openings, 9, through said chamber m, into the passage h, to and through the passage m into main wind-chest chamber, P, through passage 1' into operating-bellows, for each bellows of each pair of bellows to be alternately exhausted as the chambered block swings back and forth over said openings.

Each bellows B and D on one side of the wind-chest A is connected by a separate pitman-rod, J, pivoted by one end,r,to its respective upright F, and by its other end to a separate'orank-arm, K, of a horizontal shaft, L, on the opposite side of the wind-chest, adapted to turn in bearings in arms M, secured to the upper edge of the wind-chest A by screws 8, the two crank-arms K being set on said shaft at a quarter-angle in relation to each other to obviate the dead-center.

On each end of the shaft L is an eccentric, N, adapted to revolve in a socket in a block, 0, which in its movements slides back and forth by its socket it over end i of 3J 1Od, P, bent at right-angles at a, which right-angular part lies and is adapted to turn in bearings n on the upper edge of the wind-chest between each pair of bellows, the rod being then bent at a right angle and extending down the outside of the end piece, its lower end, w, being between two vertical arms, x,of the block E.

On the shaft L is a' small gear-wheel, Q, which engages with a largergear-wheel, R,on the take-up roll Q.

The operation of the instrument is as follows: The wind-chest A being secured to and in proper position over the main wind-chest, the n1usic-sheet wound upon the music-roll, and its outer end attached to the take-up roll, as usual in these instruments, as the main bellows is operated (which bellows is an exhaustbellows) air is exhausted from two of the four bellows, A B O D, through the chambers of the blocks H and the passages g, h, and l, as described, whichever two of the four bellows are in communication therewith by said passages, and as the air is exhausted the movable boards d of these two bellows move in a direction to close their respective bellows, opening the other two or opposite bellows, to be in turn exhausted, causing through these movements, by their pitmanrod connection with each other and the crankarms K of the shaft L, such shaft to revolve, which in turn, by its gear-connection with the take-up roll, causes such roll to turn, pulling the music-sheet along over the air-ducts m, unwinding it from the musicroll and winding it upon the take-up roll. At the same time air is being exhausted from the chamber F, so that as the musicsheet travels over the air-ducts whatever tune is arranged thereon will be played by the instrument. As the shaft Lrevolves each arm t of the rods P is moved up and down by the travel of its eccentric-block O, correspondingly moving its lower end, to, forward and backward, carrying with it its chambered block H forward and backward over the openings 9', leading from their respective bellows,by which air is exhausted from each bellows of each pair of bellows alternately, the chamber a of each block being over first one opening, 9, and then over the other, maintaining communication at all times with the central opening, h, leading to the main wind-chest. Thus alternately the bellows A B G D will be opened and closed, and by their connection with the crank-arms K of the shaft set at a quarter-angle, as described, a constant and uniform rotation of the shaft is secured. After the music-sheet has been through the instrument and wound upon the take-up roll it is desirable to unwind it therefrom and to rewind it upon the musicroll to either play the tune over again or to remove the music-roll with its music-sheet and tosubstitute another music-roll with another music-sheet having a different tune arranged thereon, and for such rewinding the following mechanism is provided:

S is a pulley on the shaft L, connected by a belt, T, with a pulley, U, arranged to turn loosely upon the shaft V, which shaft is arranged to move longitudinally backward and forward in its bearings 1 and in its backward movement against the free end 2 of a spring, V, attached to the bearing-support at a.

The bearing 00 for the music-roll journal '0 is open vertically a portion, I), and covered the remaining portion, 0 ofits length, so that the journal, when inserted fully in its hearing, will be under the portion 0, preventing upward movement; but when moved back longitudinally to clear the portion 0 it can belifted from its bearing. The other journal, to, has a portion of its end cut away throughits thickness, leaving a one-sided portion, d, which fits within a correspondinglyshaped socket, e, in the endf of the shaft V, by which clutch-connection the music-roll, when said shaft V is turned, will also turn, the spring V maintaining at all times the connection between the shaft V and the music-roll journal 10.

The music roll is inserted in place by first placingits journal to in the shaft-socket e, and then pressing back the shaft against its spring until the other journal, a, can enter its bearing 00, when the spring, acting against the end g of the shaft, will hold and keep the musicroll journals in proper connection with their bearings for the turning of the music-roll, as

desired, and also prevent accidental displacement of the same. A projecting pin or shoulder, h on the shaft V prevents its moving sufficiently for its end to escape from its bearing by abutting against the bar S.

The music-roll can be removed by reversing the movements required to insert it.

The pulley U has a circumferential groove, Z, on its hub m, in which lies the end a of an arm, p", of the horizontal lever XV, pivoted at q to a support, w, of the windchest A, by which swinging the lever WV forward and backward will move the pulley U correspondingly along the shaft toward or away from the music-roll.

On the end of the pulleyhub m is a pin or shoulder, s", projecting longitudinally there from, which, when the pulley is moved toward the music-roll, engages with a radially-projecting pin, it", on the shaft V, by which, if the pulley is then revolved, the shaft V will be revolved with it, and thus, through its clutchconnection with music-roll journal 20, revolve the music-roll.

The journal c of the take-up roll passes through and is within an inclined slot, o in a flat bar, X, set up edgewise and lying and adapted to move back and forth in a central longitudinal groove, 10, in the crossbar S, its other end being under the end as of lever W, and having a pin, y projecting upward therefrom into a slot, 2, in said lever, so that as said lever is moved in a direction to cause the pulley U to engage with the pin t of the shaft V the bar X will be moved backward, causing the take-up-roll journal 26 to slide along its inclined groove v", and upward in its bearing t in the cross-bar S, by which the take-up roll at this end will be raised, disengaging its gear from the shaft gear-whcel Q, leaving the takeup roll free to tur 1 independently of the shaft L, so that if said shaft is then revolved the music-roll will be turned from the belt-andpnlley connection of said shaft L, with its shaft V and the music-sheet rewound thereon.

After the music-sheet is wound upon the music-roll the lever TV is swung back, disengaging the pulley U from its shaft V, and engaging the take-up-roll gear-wheel R with the shaft gear-wheel Q by the inclined groove 12*, causing the journal u of the takeup roll to move down in its bearing 15, and thus lower the end of the take-up roll for such engagement.

It is preferable to have a little play for the end w of the rod P between the arms 03 of the chambered block H, and to have such arranged to be adjusted.

a are two buttons, each on the end ofa screwwire, b ,screwing'through its respective arm 00 ofthe block H in the same plane horizontally, between which buttons the end 20 of rod P is disposed, so that turning these screwwires in or out to or from each other contracts or enlarges the opening between them, by which the arm w can have more or less play between them, and correspondingly quickly or slowly change the chambered block from one movement to the other.

Although the mechanical musical instrument herein described, having the present invention applied thereto, can be operated with any suitable operating bellows, it is well adapted to be applied to the operating-bellows of a reed-organ, to be used in combination therewith, or alone, as desired, by attaching the wind-chest A to the main wind-chest of the reed-organ, having proper communicating air-passage arranged between the two windchest chambers and the several air-passages for the proper movement of air through the same.

- This invention is applicable to any and all mechanical musical instruments operated by a perforated music-sheet, whether the sounding devices are operated by air passing through the perforations, or where the valves to the sounding devices are operated by spring fingers or keys, over which the music-sheet travels, theinvention not being limited to any particular sounding devices or manner of operating the same.

The take-up roll can be arranged to have its gear-wheel disconnected from the shaft gearwheel in other ways than as described; also, the pulley U can be arranged to engage with its shaft in other ways than as described, and the music-roll can be attached to its operating-shaft in other ways. The take-up roll can be connected to the shaft bya pulley and belt, and the music-roll by a gear-wheel to such shaft; but it is preferable to connect them as shown and described; also, the chambered block can be used in connection with only one bellows in lieu of a pair of bellows, as herein particularly described,.although it is preferable to use a pair of bellows and to have at least two pairs for the better working of the apparatus; also, each chambered block could be arranged to operate in connection with three or more bellows.

Obviously the shaft L can be connected to any machine for operation thereof in lieu of the take-up roll, so that the mechanism for revolving the shal't can be applied to other uses and purposes as well as to a mechanical musical instrument; also, the shaft can be operated, as described, from a wind-chest not connected with a musical instrument.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. The combination,witha main wind-chest of a musicalinstrument, a bellows, and ashaft adapted to revolve in suitable bearings and connected to said bellows for operation of said shaft, of a chambered block having communication by its chamber with an air-passage leading to said wind-chest, and arranged to move back and forth over an air-passage leading to said bellows,and thereby make and break communication between its chamber and the airpassage to said bellows, said block being con nected to said shaft for operation ofsaid block.

2. The combination, with a main wind-chest of a musical instrument, one or more pairs of bellows, and a shaft adapted to revolvein suitable bearings and connected to said bellows for. operation of said shaft, of a chambered block to each pair of bellows, having communication by its chamber with an air-passage leading to said wind-chest and arranged to move back and forth over air-passages to its pair of bellows, and thereby make and break communication alternately between its chamher and the air-passage leading to each bellows ofits pair of bellows, said block being connected to said shaft for operation of said block.

3. The combination, with a main windchest of a musical instrument, one or more bellows, and a chambered block to each bellows,having communication .by its chamber with an airpassage leading to said wind-chest and arranged to move back and forth over an airpassage leading to its bellows, and thereby make and break communication between its chamber and the air-passage leading to its bellows, of a shaft adapted to revolve in suitable bearings and connected to each bellows for operation of said shaft, and by belt or gear IIO connected to a music or take-up roll for winding the. perforated music-sheet thereon.

4:- The combination, with a main wind-ehest of a musical instrument, one or more pairs of bellows, and a chambered block to each pair of bellows, having communication by its chamber with an air-passage leading to said windchest, and arranged to move back and forth over air-passages leading to its pair of bellows, and thereby make and break communication alternately between its chamber and the airpassage leading to each bellows of its pair of bellows, of a shaft adapted to revolve in suitable bearings, and connected to each pair of bellows for operation of said shaft, and by belt or gear connected to-a music or take-up roll for winding the perforated music-sheet thereon.

5. The combination, with a wind-chest of a musical instrument, one or more pairs of bellows, and a chambered block to each pair of bellows, having communication by its chamber with an air-prssage leading to said windchest, and arranged to move back and forth over air-passagesleading to its pair of bellows, and thereby make and break communication alternately between its chamber and. the airpassage leading to each bellows of its pair of bellows, of a shaft adapted to revolve in suitable bearings and connected to each pair of bellows for operation of said shaft, and having a gear-wheel engaging with a gear-wheel on the take-up roll, for the purpose specified.

6. The combination, with a main wind-chest of a musical instrument, one or more pairs of bellows, and a chambered block to each pair of bellows, having communication by its (3113111 ber with an air'passagc leading to said windchest, and arranged to move back and forth over air-passages leading to its pair of bellows, and thereby make and break communication alternately between its chamber and the airpassage leading to each bellows of its pair of bellows, of a shaft adapted to revolve in suitable bearings, and connected to each pair of bellows foroperation of said shaft, provided with a pulley engaging by a belt with a pulley on a shaft connected to the music-roll, for the purpose specified. v

7. The combination, with a roll adapted to revolve in suitable bearings, a bar adapted to slide back and forth in a guideway having an inclined slot, o through which one, a, of the roll-journals passes, of a lever, W, pivoted to a suitable support and engaging with said bar, and. with a pulley, U, on a shaft, V, for the purpose specified.

8. The combination, with a shaft adapted to revolve in suitable bearings, having an eccentric, N, of a block or strap, 0, having a socket, 7c, in which an arm, of a pivoted rod, P, is adapted to slide back and forth for operation thereof.

9. The combination, with a roll having a spring, V, acting against one of its journals, of a bearing, 00, for its otherjournal, having a portion, b", open, and a portion, 0 inclosed, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEO. B. KELLY.

Vi tnesses l EDWIN W. BROWN, OLIVER H. Anne. 

